Rose Valley Steel Works apprentice Brooklyn Davis, centre, with Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, left, and Rose valley Steel Works owner Phil MacFarlane.
Tuesday, 29 November 2022
ARMDIALE apprentices Brooklyn Davis, Louis Darcy and Jamayne Page have each been awarded a $15,000 boost to their training and development, receiving a State Government Bert Evans Apprentice scholarship, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall announced today.
They are three of 10 recipients across the region, of scholarships this year, which is the most ever awarded across the Northern Tablelands.
Mr Marshall met with the three apprentices and their employers in their workplaces last week to congratulate them on their success and discuss the positive impact these scholarships will have on their future commitments while completing their on-the-job training.
“The $15,000 scholarships will be paid over the three years of their training in $5,000 instalments every 12 months. This is a huge boost for these three young apprentices, and it will help them deal with some of their travel and training costs,” Mr Marshall said.
“Brooklyn is undertaking a Fabrication Trade Certificate III – Engineering and is working for Rose Valley Steel Works in Armidale.
“Louis is working for Tony Williams Machinery doing a Certificate III in Engineering and Jamayne is an apprentice glazier in his second year working for Lockman Door and Glass.”
Mr Marshall said it was a pleasure to meet the apprentices and extremely pleasing to know the scholarships would go a long way in helping them cope financially with the challenges they will face in completing their qualifications.
“This encouragement payment is a real credit to Brooklyn, Louis and Jamayne and their commitment to their trade and studies,” Mr Marshall said.
“As equally proud of these young people are their employers and it was good to have the opportunity to chat with them all when I dropped into their businesses.”
Mr Marshall said apprentices played a vital role in growing our local economy which is why the government recognises the need to provide additional financial support to those apprentices facing difficulty and help them gain their qualification.
Lockman Doors and Glass Directors Dean and Sophie Waters recommended Jamayne Page for the scholarship and said he was a valued and reliable employee dedicated to working to the highest standard.
“Jamayne has to travel to Sydney every two months to undertake formal training at the only glazing facility in NSW and that’s a six-hour journey from Armidale. He deserves this scholarship and I know he will be forever grateful for it,” Mr Waters said.
TWM Machinery owner Tony Williams said he was pleased to be able to provide support for Louis’s application and said it was a great way to provide encouragement to apprentices to carry on with their training and studies.
Rose Valley Steel Works apprentice Brooklyn Davis felt very lucky to have been successful in her application and said she was very grateful for the assistance.
“I was very excited when I got the news, this money will make a huge difference for me and the first thing I’m going to buy with the money is a new welding jacket and a few tools for the job,” Ms Davis said.